Love Inspired June 2014 - Bundle 2 of 2: Single Dad CowboyThe Bachelor Meets His MatchUnexpected Reunion

by Brenda Minton

  Pop looked crestfallen.

  Ruthie pulled her hand from Gray’s reluctant grasp and slid her arm around Pop’s shoulders. “Give it some time. This is a lot to take in at once.”

  The doorbell rang, announcing the arrival of Sobo’s sister. Sobo seemed anxious, and Gray wondered if this was too much to spring on her in one day. What if the reunion turned sour? Maybe they should have waited to let the information sink in for a few days before attempting an introduction. Unfortunately, that wasn’t an option now. He only hoped their meeting again after all these years wouldn’t do more harm than good.

  “You don’t have to meet Tomiko if you don’t want to,” Ruthie said, echoing his own thoughts.

  Sobo forced a tentative smile. “I want.”

  He had always seen his grandmother as an active, lively person who could do anything she set her mind to. In her, he saw a physical strength, as well as mental fortitude. Now, for the first time, he saw an even deeper strength. A strength that had pushed aside self-pity over the loss of her memory and all the people in her past. A strength that had allowed her to trust the man who had rescued her to bring her to this new country with its unfamiliar customs, where he would love her and protect her.

  He excused himself and welcomed Tomiko and her niece into the house. They had left the rest of the family behind so as not to overwhelm Sobo. He quickly briefed the women on Sobo’s memory loss and warned them not to expect much of a response from her.

  Tomiko clutched the dolls as if they were talismans that would see her safely through the relationship maze she was about to step into.

  He led her into the room and offered her the recliner, but she stood beside the bed, transfixed, and gazed down at her sister. It was as if she was remembering the girl she had last seen and was running the image through a sixty-year time machine to see if it matched up with the person before her.

  It apparently did. Tomiko abruptly sobbed and dabbed her swollen eyes with a wadded tissue. Her niece stood back and watched, making no effort to comfort her, since these were tears of joy.

  Sobo stared back at her, clearly not registering the woman in front of her as the sister she had left behind. Gray’s heart cracked, both for Sobo, who might never recover her lost memories, and for Tomiko, who had found her sister and understandably wanted all of her back.

  Quietly, as if afraid of shattering the illusion, Tomiko spoke in Japanese. He didn’t catch much except the word chan, an affectionate term for sister.

  A moment later, something changed in Sobo’s expression as a dawning awareness penetrated her fractured memory. Her lips parted to speak, but nothing came out. Then, finally, after a painfully long moment, “Miko?”

  Tomiko nearly crumpled where she stood, and Gray moved to catch her. But his assistance was unnecessary. Tomiko draped herself over her sister, and the two women hugged and cried. Then they pulled back, beamed lovingly at each other and hugged and cried some more.

  Overwhelmed by the display of raw emotion, and even more by the sheer impossibility of what had just occurred, he moved to the door to let them catch up on their lost years.

  Ruthie followed him out of the room, beaming and brushing away a tear with the heel of her hand. Obviously thrilled to have been a witness to the touching reunion, she reached for his arm.

  Barely aware of her touch, he pulled away. A sense of stunned amazement fell over him like a numbing blanket that both shielded him from the painful joy of the long-awaited reunion and surrounded him with the knowledge that this couldn’t have happened. Not like this. Not in a million years.

  Unable to feel at the moment, let alone think, all he knew was that he had to get away from the heightened emotions that stirred his soul and the contradictions that challenged his thoughts.

  He didn’t know where he was going. Just let his feet carry him where they would through the unseasonably chilly day. The wind blew against him, urging him to go back. In defiance, he shoved his hands into his pockets, hunched his shoulders and pushed against the cold blast.

  It should have been impossible for Sobo’s sister—his great-aunt—to find her. The weirdest part was that he couldn’t call this one a coincidence. As difficult as it was to admit, something deep down told him that mere coincidence could not have orchestrated events so Tomiko’s search eventually led her to the passerby who had witnessed Sobo’s rescue by the American soldier who was now his grandfather.

  Despite his resistance over these past four years, he knew with a certainty that coincidence had not led Tomiko to Richmond, Virginia, where that soldier lived. Only God could have done that.

  Wordlessly, he walked down the street and found himself at the church where all those he loved most came to worship.

  Just as he had done three short weeks ago, he paused at the bottom of the steps to the welcoming portico. The chilly air swirled around him, questioning his actions. Slowly, cautiously, he ascended the stairs.

  The door was unlocked. Gray pulled it open and stepped inside. Into the warmth.

  * * *

  Ruthie followed Gray to the church. Just as he had done a moment earlier, she paused at the steps. He had pushed her away before. He might do it again.

  Never mind that. Gray was at church, and he hadn’t been dragged here against his will. She said a silent prayer, asking God to guide him to the knowledge and understanding that he sought. “Lord, You helped Tomiko find her sister,” she whispered. “Please help Gray find his way back to You.”

  She went inside and found him seated on the pew closest to the altar, elbows on knees and head resting in his hands. He looked...not defeated. Broken, maybe. It was hard seeing him like this. Seeing the man she had always viewed as big, strong and in control bent into a weary, overwhelmed posture. It was odd. And a little frightening.

  She proceeded down the aisle to sit next to him. If he didn’t want her there, he could send her away, but something told her he shouldn’t be alone right now. He needed her.

  She needed him.

  She had almost reached the pew when he rose and walked to the altar. Slowly, he fell to his knees and bowed his head.

  Unasked, she knelt beside him and assumed his posture. As she expected, he didn’t respond. It didn’t matter.

  She slipped her hand into his, then wondered if she was pushing too hard. Don’t think, she heard from somewhere deep within. Just be.

  After a moment he pulled away. But this time he reached into his pocket and withdrew his wallet. From a small pocket inside the billfold, he took out a worn letter and unfolded it. Ruthie recognized the handwriting as her own.

  Gray held it open in front of him, staring but not appearing to see what was written on the paper. Her handwriting filled the page. “This was the last letter you sent me before I...”

  Before he broke up with her. She remembered copying the psalms and sending them to him to read whenever he needed comfort. But instead of comforting him, the verses had only served to point out the divide in their beliefs.

  Had he come here to ball up that letter? To put the final finish to his relationships with both God and her?

  At the top of the page was Psalm 20:1.

  Gray blinked a couple of times as if to clear his vision, then read the verse aloud. “‘May the Lord answer you when you are in distress. May the name of the God of Jacob protect you.’” Without looking at her, he cleared his throat. “Every time I saw that verse, it smacked me in the face. But for some reason, whenever I tried to throw this letter away, I couldn’t do it.”

  The God of Jacob. Of Jakey. No wonder he had taken it so personally when his friend had died. That verse must have seemed as though it was mocking him.

  “When Jakey and I were under fire, he called out to God to protect us,” he said, reminding her of the painful events of that day. “To protect him, just like the verse promised.”<
br />
  She touched his arm. “You don’t have to go through this again. I understand.”

  “No,” he said, shaking his head. “You don’t. Here’s the part I didn’t tell you.”

  She sat back on her heels and waited until he was ready to tell her the rest.

  “Jakey prayed for protection, and at that exact moment he was hit by shrapnel. I was so busy trying to get us out of there, I hadn’t even started to pray. Yet I was the one who was spared.” He blew out a breath. “Explain that.”

  It was understandable that such a disaster had caused him to question God’s presence. Her heart ached for him, and she wished there was something she could say to make sense of what was an incomprehensible tragedy. No wonder he had decided he couldn’t count on God during the bad times and refused to give Him credit for the good. No wonder he attributed God’s blessings to coincidence.

  “There’s no way I can explain what happened in Afghanistan. Only God knows those answers,” she said. “But you have to admit that more than coincidence must have been at work to reunite Sobo with her long-lost sister. A sister she didn’t even remember until today.”

  Gray nodded. “Yeah, that’s pretty freaky.” He smoothed out the letter and let his gaze roam over the verses. “After what happened today, it looks like maybe God was with us after all. Today and back then.”

  The impact of his words hit her like a velvet-covered brick. She almost dared not hope that his frozen heart had started to melt.

  He spoke again, and this time his voice was stronger. Clearer. “A stray dog joined us when I was struggling to get Jakey back to camp. He showed up from out of nowhere...as though he was sent to protect us. More than once that mutt let us know when enemy soldiers were nearby.” Gray turned toward her, and his gaze bored deeply into her eyes. “Here’s the weird thing. I named that dog Radar. Was that a coincidence?”

  There was no sarcasm to his question. Only a sincere earnestness as he sorted through the evidence of God’s presence that had been there all along...evidence that he’d been unable to see at the time.

  “You know what I think,” she said.

  He sat silent for a moment, apparently taking it all in as he stared at the letter. “There were other verses. Promises of hiding places and songs of deliverance. At the time it seemed like those promises hadn’t been kept, but now I wonder.” He rubbed a hand over the back of his neck. “The shelter we needed always showed up at just the right time. And then there was the time I lost my way back to the unit.” He shook his head as if barely able to comprehend how he hadn’t seen this before. “Just when I thought I’d never find my way back, songs from a wedding in a nearby village helped me regain my direction.”

  Coincidence, indeed. Ruthie leaned closer to him, feeling the warmth of his arm against her shoulder, and her gaze fell on another verse: “I will strengthen you, though you have not acknowledged me.”

  “You hadn’t acknowledged God,” she said. “But He gave you the strength to carry through anyway.” She laid her hand on his. “God’s hand had been on you the entire time.”

  He turned his hand upward and captured her fingers with his. “I just wish Jakey hadn’t died.”

  She squeezed back. “Me, too.”

  Perhaps they would never understand why the faithful man had had to die so young. For now, it would have to be enough to trust that Jakey was safe in God’s heavenly embrace.

  Gray rose to his feet and held out a hand to help her up. “My sweet, loyal Ruthie.” He placed his hands on her shoulders and held her as if he might never let go. “God was there for me when I needed Him, and you were like a steadfast pillar. But I turned away from both of you.”

  She smiled up at him. “That’s in the past.”

  “I’ll never turn from God again,” he promised, “no more than I will ever turn away from you.”

  He dropped his hands down her arms and once again captured her hands in his.

  “I love you, Ruthie. Will you take a chance on me? Will you marry me?”

  She had always known God had chosen this man for her. And now, at long last, he’d proved it. “I’ve always been yours, Gray. You’re the only man I’ve ever loved.” Her spirit soared with so much happiness she could barely hold it all in. Her left hand clamped together in a prayer of thanksgiving. “Of course I’ll marry you!”

  Gray moved in to kiss her, then abruptly stopped. He lifted her left hand, his fingers shaping themselves around hers.

  Thinking he found it silly, she started to shake her fingers loose, but he stopped her.

  “I kind of like it,” he said with a grin. “It emu-ses me. In fact—” he folded his own hand to match hers “—I might even start doing it myself. And there’s no time like the present.”

  With that, he touched his fingertips to hers and made a smooching noise.

  She laughed with delight, her voice seeming to echo in the empty sanctuary. Perhaps the echo was actually God, joining in their laughter.

  And then Gray really kissed her.

  * * * * *

  Keep reading for an excerpt from HANNAH’S COURTSHIP by Emma Miller.

  Dear Reader

  One of my favorite memories of my grandmother is of her lining up all the grandchildren, telling each of us how smart, sweet and beautiful or handsome we were and sealing the declaration with a heartfelt hug and kiss. At one memorable family gathering, my twelve-year-old cousin had brought along a scruffy-looking friend who unexpectedly found himself in the receiving line with us. When Nanny got to the visitor, she didn’t even pause at his dirty, ragamuffin appearance. Instead, she remarked on his lovely blue eyes, told him how precious he was, then hugged and kissed him just as she had the rest. The boy beamed under her doting attention, and that moment forever sealed in my heart the true meaning of family.

  As one of six children in a yours-mine-and-ours union, I learned that families are more about love than they are about blood. More about commitment than bonds from birth. And in church I learned that, as children of God, we are all part of His holy family.

  Later, drawn to the theme of family, especially of families by choice, I found myself fashioning Ruthie’s “honorary grandparents” after my own big-hearted grandmother.

  As for the hero? What red-blooded woman wouldn’t want a caring, protective man like Gray to settle down with and start a family? A man devoted to those he loves. A family man.

  From me and my family to you and yours...

  Love and grace,

  Questions for Discussion

  As a teen, Ruthie’s mother died, leaving her without family and with nowhere to go. Fortunately, she was taken in by a couple from church. Could you see yourself doing the same for a member of your community? What are the potential drawbacks? What unexpected blessings might you and they receive?

  Gray’s faith was shaken as the result of a traumatic experience in his life. Do you believe that when someone loses his faith, he also loses his salvation? What verse(s) in the Bible back up your belief?

  If one partner’s faith is weaker than the other’s, does that mean they’re “unequally yoked”? Why or why not?

  If you knew of a Christian who had turned away from God, how would you handle the matter with them? Would you try to find ways to convince them of God’s unshakeable love, or would you give that person distance to figure it out on his own?

  Some people look at certain life events as random coincidences, and others see them as evidence of God working in their lives. How do you feel about that? What does the Bible say about it? What “coincidence” in your life do you believe was evidence of God in action?

  Ruthie has an unusual way of praying. Where and how do you do most of your praying?

  Ruthie’s “honorary grandmother” was named Naoko. How is their relationship similar to, or differ
ent from, that of Ruth and Naomi in the Bible?

  Sobo’s doll was very important to her. How do you think she would have felt if it hadn’t been found? Which of your possessions do you have the most sentimental attachment to, and why?

  Like Gray, Mr. Denton was deeply affected by what he experienced during his military deployment. Do you think Ruthie should have done more (or less) to help him? Why or why not?

  Ruthie and her roommates teamed up to form the group of stores called Abundance. In what ways have you teamed up with others to achieve something that was stronger than the sum of its parts?

  A lot of water had passed under the bridge since Gray and Ruthie’s breakup. Do you think broken couples can overcome their difficulties and eventually create an even stronger relationship than before? Why or why not?

  We hope you enjoyed this Harlequin Love Inspired story.

  You believe hearts can heal. Love Inspired stories show that faith, forgiveness and hope have the power to lift spirits and change lives—always.

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  Chapter One

  April

  Kent County, Delaware

  Heart thumping, Hannah Yoder awoke with a start in her bed, barely catching her Bible before it tumbled off her lap to the floor. Still foggy with sleep, she placed the Good Book safely on the nightstand beside her bed and retrieved the reading glasses that must have fallen when she dozed off. What time was it? Glancing at the clock on the mantel over the fireplace, she saw that it was eleven-thirty.